Dec. 6, 2003

Box Score

ROCK HILL, SC - Southern Mississippi used a 14-1 run to begin the second half and shot 56 percent from the floor to take an 81-61 victory over Samford in the Championship Game of the Brother's Heat and Air Shootout at Winthrop University Saturday night.

Eddie Harper led Samford (2-3) with 16 points and Phillip Ramelli had 12 points and seven rebounds but the Bulldogs shot just 28 percent from three-point range despite shooting 53 percent from the floor.

Southern Miss (3-1) placed five players in double figures led by 17 points from Jason Forte. David Haywood had 15 points, Charles Gaines 14 points, Jasper Johnson 12 points, and Dante Stiggers added 11 points. USM had a 34-18 rebounding advantage and had more offensive rebounds (15) than Samford had defensive rebounds (14).

"They had more energy than we did and they shot the ball well," said Samford head coach Jimmy Tillette. "I thought we had some perimeter lapses but the biggest disappointment to me was the way we ran our offense. Sometimes you can use a team's energy against them and we didn't do that."

Samford led the game 35-34 with 1:09 remaining in the first half. Stiggers hit a jumper to put USM ahead. Gaines had a steal and a dunk to extend the lead to three before Haywood hit a three-pointer with four seconds left in the half to give the Golden Eagles a 41-35 lead at halftime.

USM shot 62 percent in the second half. After a Ramelli hook shot to start the second half, USM scored the next 17 points over the next six minutes.

Sebastian Sachse ended the run with a hook shot at the 11:04 mark. The Bulldogs pulled to within 12 points at 67-55 with 6:33 left to play but that was as close as Samford would get.

Samford will return to action next Saturday as it travels to Ohio State for a 1 p.m. tip-oof against the Buckeyes.